Strategic Planning for Transportation for the Nation (TFTN)
Steve Lewis
Geospatial Information Officer, USDOT
Director, Office of Geospatial Information Systems, USDOT/RITA/BTS
September 23, 2010
2U.S. Department of TransportationResearch and Innovative Technology Administration
Background
Influenced by several different efforts: In 2008, an “issues brief” by NSGIC called for the creation of TFTN OMB Circular A-16 identifies the USDOT as the “lead agency” for
the “transportation theme” of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI).
Emerging USDOT data requirements for geospatial data for all roads, such as accident reporting for enhanced safety and bridge inventory.
Aligned with several initiatives such the emerging federal Geospatial Platform concept. - one element of the “geospatial portfolio”
3U.S. Department of TransportationResearch and Innovative Technology Administration
TFTN Concept
“Creation and maintenance of high-quality, nationwide transportation data that is in the public domain”□ An initial focus on street centerlines, but eventually multi-modal□ Nationwide data spanning all states and territories□ All roads, not just Federally funded roads□ Provides a common geometric baseline
▪ Road naming▪ Persistent segment ID numbering▪ Advanced functionality is built on top of baseline
□ Data is in the public domain and readily shareable
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Strategic Planning Effort - History
RITA/BTS agreed to fund and manage the effortFunds obligated and contractor selected in October 2009□ Koniag Technology Solutions□ Applied Geographics
Suffered through many contracting glitches associated with “end-of-year” money
Contract finally awarded in March 2010
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Strategic Planning Effort – The Process
Identify and engage the entire stakeholder community□ All levels of government□ Private Sector□ Citizens (e.g. OpenStreetMap community)
Define requirements, challenges and opportunitiesDocument progress already made□ Existing Datasets□ Best Practices□ New Ideas
Explore implementation issuesEvaluate funding requirements and sources
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What Has Been Done? - Pre-Award Outreach
Meeting of Federal Stakeholders, October 2009 NSGIC Annual Conference, October 2009 National Geospatial Advisory Council, December 2009 Transportation Research Board Annual Meetings,
January 2010 ESRI Federal User Conference, February 2010
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What Has Been Done? – TFTN Workshops
AASHTO GIS-T Symposium, April 2010 ESRI International User Conference, July 2010 NSGIC Annual Conference, September 2010 National Association of Regional Councils, September
2010 (webinar) URISA GIS-Pro Conference, September 2010 (next
week)
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What Has Been Done? – Stakeholder Interviews, Summer 2010
U.S. Department of Transportation□ Safety□ Asset Management□ Intelligent Transportation Systems□ Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS)
Other Federal Agencies□ U.S. Department of Agriculture□ Federal Communications Commission□ U.S. Geological Survey□ Bureau of the Census
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What Has Been Done? – Stakeholder Interviews, Summer 2010 - Continued
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
Transportation Research Board I-95 Corridor Coalition
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Trends from the Workshops and Interviews
Near Unanimous Support□ All of those interviewed and most of those who attended the
workshops have indicated their support for this effort
Learned of a number of similar efforts underway that benefit from TFTN
Safety could be a key to the success of TFTN□ A geospatial representation of ALL ROADS is needed to meet
many of the USDOTs Safety Initiatives□ A geospatial representation of ALL ROADS is needed for
emergency response□ Lots of federal money for safety initiatives
11U.S. Department of TransportationResearch and Innovative Technology Administration
Trends from the Workshops and Interviews
“Think Regionally Act Locally”□ States and counties are beginning to look beyond their borders□ States and counties are the authoritative data source for their
transportation data
“Can you live with that?”□ The Stakeholders have different needs□ Need to find a baseline that works with everyone□ Once the baseline is established, the consumers can add their
own “special sauce”
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Baseline Geometry with “Special Sauce”
The specifics of what’s included in “baseline geometry” requires further definition
Initial, minimal components might be:□ Road naming□ Basic attributes (e.g. functional classification)□ Persistent segment ID numbering
Seeking additional ideas and input from stakeholders on what’s feasible
“Special sauce” can be content and/or capabilities
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Possibilities for “Special Sauce”
Address ranges/geocoding (could be a minimal component?)
Advanced attributes (e.g. width, lanes) Full routability (e.g. speeds, turn restrictions, etc.) Enhanced cartographic display (e.g. annotation,
symbolization, etc.) Linear referencing systems (LRS) Integration with photo/imagery catalogs
14U.S. Department of TransportationResearch and Innovative Technology Administration
A Potential Model for TFTN - HPMS
FHWA reporting requirements for the Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) include the submission of a geospatial network of all Federal-aid roads by each State DOT
Current reporting requirements for the HPMS could be expanded to require all roads□ Detailed HPMS attributes would continue to be provided for only
Federal-aid roads□ Annual nature of HPMS reporting provides a data update
mechanism□ USDOT works with states to develop basic standards□ Reporting requirement would enable states to utilize FHWA
funding for creation and maintenance of inventory
15U.S. Department of TransportationResearch and Innovative Technology Administration
Obstacles Associated With This Model
FHWA has to change the HPMS Reporting Requirements to include all roads in the geospatial submission
States are not required to work with neighbors for connectivity
No USDOT resources currently available for aggregation, assembly and publication of a nationwide data set
The level of quality/accuracy varies from State to State
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How Can These Obstacles Be Overcome?
Through State-level Best Practices□ Some States work with their local government partners
▪ Provide funding and technical support▪ State collects and aggregates the data into a Statewide dataset▪ Involve the e-911 community▪ Examples include Arkansas and Ohio
□ Some states are using public-private partnerships▪ Contracting for creation and maintenance of Statewide inventory▪ Includes a mechanism for posting update requests▪ In some case, the State is allowed to distribute a version of the data▪ Examples include Massachusetts and New York
Through possible additional USDOT funding sources
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Potential Benefits of TFTN
Core business benefits to the USDOT□ To the HPMS program: see HPMS in the context of complete
transportation□ To Highway Safety for nationwide accident mapping□ To bridge inventory effort
Benefits to “sister” federal agencies□ Reduces costs from redundant nationwide data sets□ Provides public domain data for sharing with partners□ Potential collaboration and synergy with other significant mapping
programs at USGS and US Census
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Potential Benefits of TFTN
Benefits to State and Local Governments □ Potentially opens up FHWA resources for statewide road
inventories□ Provides public domain data
▪ Facilitates sharing with partners▪ Better data – particularly for rural areas – for GPS-based navigation
□ Easier cross border /multi-jurisdiction coordination and collaboration
Benefits to the General Public□ Consistent data across agencies and programs to support citizen
services□ Publically accessible data for citizen and commercial innovation
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Examples of what have we heard so far…
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At the ESRI User Conference
Short-term and long-term considerations□ Short term: don’t forget several nationwide datasets currently exist
▪ TIGER▪ Commercial▪ OpenStreetMap
□ Longer term: design and build something new
HPMS is not resourced to make a seamless nationwide data set□ Look at other “process models” too!□ Public/private partnership□ Build on TIGER□ Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI)□ Something “outside-the-box” that we have yet to imagine
21U.S. Department of TransportationResearch and Innovative Technology Administration
Census Bureau Interview Takeaways
TIGER is a mature product□ Many users depend on it for a variety of applications
▪ National broadband mapping (for Census geometry)
Significant improvements in latest TIGER files□ Positional accuracy improved (7.6 meter)□ Substantial input from local sources incorporated□ Research into potential for OpenStreetMap
Planning for more frequent updates (depending on funding)
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USGS Interview Takeaways
Requirement for nationwide roads in The National Map (TNM)
TIGER did not meet TNM requirements□ Positional accuracy□ Depictions of interchanges and dual-carriageways□ Attributes□ Costs to retrofit TIGER were prohibitive
Have currently replaced TIGER with TeleAtlas data□ Competitive price, but restricted use□ Looking at OpenStreetMap and other alternatives, long-term
The National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) provides a positive example of Federal-State collaboration
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At the NSGIC Annual Conference
Develop a matrix of common requirements and approaches – “what are the shared needs and commonalities?”
Develop an inventory of what each state has for statewide street centerlines
Develop several success stories as 1-2 page fact sheets, perhaps as “tiered” levels of success
The Census Bureau considers itself to be a “Data Integrator,” not a Data Producer per se; boundaries are the “real issue” for Census Bureau, not roads; DOTs might need greater detail
Next Generation 911 is and will be a big driver for GIS-based initiatives to build statewide street centerline data sets to support automated routing
24U.S. Department of TransportationResearch and Innovative Technology Administration
The Road Ahead
More interviews, meetings, surveys, case studies, etc. Through these, we will:
□ Identify what’s working, what’s needed – current practices, requirements, strategies, standards, documentation
□ Identify institutional constraints, capacity, operational authority, motivation, benefits, etc.
□ Formulate strategies for implementation□ Identify potential sources of funding
25U.S. Department of TransportationResearch and Innovative Technology Administration
Questions?
Steve Lewis
(202) 366-9223
http://www.transportationresearch.gov/TFTN/default.aspx